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Month: April 2017

“For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”(Matthew 7:7)(NIV)

You don’t have to be a caregiver to find yourself believing Lie Number 3, you just have to have limited financial resources and a personal preference not to ask for help.

Lie #3: IF I CAN’T DO IT MYSELF THEN IT WON’T EVER GET DONE

When just getting through everyday life is more than you can handle anything “extra” tends to get pushed to the side until it becomes an emergency. I’ve wanted to repaint my kitchen for years and I doubt that it will ever become an emergency. But at least someday, if I find the time, I can do it. What I am talking about with Lie Number 3 is more like the overhead light in my living room that hangs by wires without a fixture. I can’t put up a fixture over it, I have tried. The wires just aren’t long enough to allow me to do it. It will have to be rewired. I don’t have the knowledge to do that safely.

Or the items of furniture in my garage, there is a broken treadmill, an old rocker recliner, a few other things. They need to go to the dump. I cannot load them into a truck and take them. It is physically impossible for me. They were put in the garage years ago as a temporary measure because they had to come out of the house and there they sit.

For a year or two, I tried to remind my helpers that all that stuff still needed to be hauled away. There never seemed to be a convenient time. I finally quit asking and just learned to live with my redneck looking garage. When the garbage service quit picking up boxes I embraced it.

(This is an actual picture of my garage.)

I can’t fix some things. I often refuse to ask for help. And so I find a way to live with the problem. It is my choice to do so, but in my moments of frustration, I tell myself it will always be this way. Because, after all, IF I CAN’T DO IT MYSELF IT WILL NEVER GET DONE.

So, I stew over the situation, feeling that I mustn’t ask for too much help or ask too often, feeling that I need to store up the good will of my helpers for when I have a real problem that can’t wait, like a broken water heater or a leaking roof. My heart hardens and my jaw clenches. About that time Lie 1 and Lie 2 chime in to remind me that I AM ALONE and NO ONE UNDERSTANDS MY REALITY.

By that point, I am angry and full of self-pity. I have marched myself right into a pit. This kind of thinking is a waste of time, it accomplishes nothing in advancing me toward what I need (help), and it makes me feel miserable. I have done this a few times, maybe a few hundred.

I have found a way to save myself from repeating this useless little saga. You don’t have to look around you at all the things that need to be done feeling helpless and hopeless. IF I CAN’T DO IT MYSELF THEN IT WON’T EVER GET DONE is a lie, and, like most lies, it can feel true. But it is not the truth and you shouldn’t believe it. Here are some ways to break free:

1. Swallow your pride and ask for help.

This may sound easy to some but to me it sounds hard. It means first I have to admit to myself that I need help and then it means exposing that need to others who may or may not respond the way I hope they do. It makes me vulnerable. I have this idea in my head that I have no right to impose my needs on others. I have another idea that the goodwill of the people who do care enough to help me is finite, so if I ask for too much or ask too often they will not be there to help me in a real emergency.

It is important to remember there is a difference between asking for help and demanding/guilt tripping/emotionally blackmailing someone to help you. A straightforward request for help is the best. If the person you ask is unwilling or unable to help you that’s okay. Just move on to the next one. Exposing your need to others provides them with an opportunity to minister to you. It provides people with a way to demonstrate their love for you. It provides people with a chance to perform some good works.

Think about someone you care about, what would you be willing to do help them or to make their life easier? Now imagine them feeling the same way about you. If you don’t ask they may never even realize you need help.

2. Pray for help

This one is a bit easier for me. Asking God for favor with someone who can help me. Asking God to send me the right person to ask at the right time. But trusting that God is working on my behalf to provide for my needs while I wait is still hard. I am not a good waiter. (I am also a horrible waitress but that is a story for another time.)

3. Remember God Himself is your true Help

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is among them that uphold my soul.” (Psalm 54:4)(Darby Bible Translation)

All the help that finds its way to you is from the Lord. He is our helper and our provider. See below:

Jehovah Ezer is one of His names. Helping us is who He IS. He wants us to come to Him for help. We can never ask too often. We can never ask for too much. He will never turn away from our cry. His resources and His love for us are without limit. And sometimes I need to be reminded of the red-letter section of Matthew below:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts a to those who ask him?” (Matthew 7:9-11)(NIV)

Now, we know in life that you don’t necessarily get everything you ask for, find everything you seek, or have every door you knock on opened. But please remember that if you never ask, seek or knock you can never receive, find or walk through the door. The result is better if you ask. And, if it is important to you, don’t stop asking!

“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God or respected men. And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or respect men, yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Then she will stop wearing me out with her perpetual requests.’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to the words of the unjust judge. Will not the God bring about justice for his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he continue to defer their help?” (Luke 18:2-7)(Berean Study Bible)

God will not continue to defer your help forever. Keep asking and keep expecting your help to come!

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (Psalm 56:8) (New Living Translation).

On to Lie number TWO:

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS MY REALITY

This is a hard one; this one is so easy to believe. It is especially easy to believe if you are caring for an adult who is a very private person or a person who desperately doesn’t want to make their friends and family upset or uncomfortable with the full truth. You may not have admitted the true severity of your disabled/ill loved one’s condition to anyone.

That situation can make life harder for you. It makes it harder to explain why you need help, clamps your mouth shut when people ask how your loved one is doing, and can make you feel more isolated and overwhelmed than a caregiver who is able to be freer with the facts.

It may be your choice not to divulge the details of your loved one’s suffering and the distress and work it brings you. You may even assume that no one wants to listen to such things anyway. But even if you have not made clear the details of what you and your disabled/ill loved one are going through to anyone, believe me, there is someone (or even multiple people) out there that understand exactly what your life is like.

Some of us have it easier than others. The difficulty of caregiving is relative. I care for my husband, work full-time, run our household, and care for our son. A dear friend of mine works full-time and cares for both of his elderly parents. There are so many ways to be a caregiver. Somewhere another caregiver probably has it worse than you do, possibly even much worse, but that does not discount the difficulties you do have to deal with. If you know of someone who has a harder row to hoe than you do right now, by all means, pray for them and be grateful to God that you don’t have to walk that road. BUT never think that just because you are not the worst off of all caregivers that you don’t deserve compassion and support.

So here you sit feeling like no one understands what you are going through and how things REALLY are for you. Maybe someone made an offhanded remark that hit you right in the gut or someone is complaining to you about their healthy, able-bodied spouse and your feel like you would kill to have THAT problem. (For example, this person said to you: “My husband didn’t vacuum the carpets today even though he had the day off from work. He never helps me.” And inwardly you are thinking, Dear God, if my husband could just walk/talk/bathe himself/not be in constant pain etc. I would be so happy. Why is she complaining?) That is a sad place to be. It is isolating, lonely and frustrating. Surely no one understands your reality.

It is not true. There ARE other people who understand and God understands exactly what you go through and what it takes to walk your path. Here are a few ways to fight the lie:

1. Find other caregivers:

You are not the only person in a caregiving situation facing these struggles. If you can find a few of these people in your church (ask your pastor to point you in the right direction), your community (your local hospital(s) may offer support groups), or even online (where you can find great understanding of your pain and struggles without volunteering many specifics). When you find other caregivers, reach out to them. While you are listening to their stories you can watch that lie that no one understands crack and crumble to pieces.

Here are a few online resources to check out:

www.wellspouse.org (If you are caring for your spouse/partner this organization is for you. They have newsletters, forums, support groups, phone support groups, events. And much more. There is a membership fee: $30 per year for full access and $5 per year for digital access. Special considerations may be made for those with a financial hardship and are made for those caring for military spouses.)

Caring.com (There is a good variety of online support groups available here, spanning many caregiving situations.)

2. Find a way to tell the truth:

If you are in a situation where being open publicly about the details of your situation is difficult, for instance, you feel you must protect the privacy of your loved one, it is important that you don’t live a secret or a double life. Feeling like you can’t or shouldn’t speak to anyone about what you are going through adds a huge burden of extra stress to your already draining and stressful situation. You can develop an unhealthy perspective of your situation or you even can live in a state of partial denial (also unhealthy). It is not right to carry all that weight alone.

Perhaps your situation is not secret but sometimes you have thoughts and feelings about what has happened and is happening in your life that you never share. Maybe there are days when you are so frustrated with a physician, a circumstance or even your loved one for which you are caring that you just want to scream, or throw things or even run away. Or maybe you struggle with Depression or Anxiety and you hide it from your disabled/ill loved one so it doesn’t bring them down. Maybe you hide it from everyone. You should not carry that weight alone either.

Finding someone to share the weight isn’t always easy. For some of us talking to a trusted friend or family member who knows how to listen and be discreet about what you share is enough. For me seeing a counselor who is bound not to discuss or disclose what I talk about has been a good option. You could write an anonymous blog or join an online forum with an assumed username that protects your identity.

You are not necessarily looking for a place to complain about the difficulties of your life, just a safe place to share or a person to witness your struggles and how you truly feel. Not having to edit your thoughts, feelings and the details of your caregiving work as you talk is fantastically freeing, and it can help you think or see your situation from a different perspective. Being completely honest really can help you deal with your situation in a healthier way.

3. Remember that God knows your reality

You are seen. Every single thing you do, He knows it all. He sees you striving to do your best. He sees you fail sometimes. He sees every sacrifice you make. He sees you crying soundlessly in the bathroom so that you don’t bring anyone else down. He is right there beside you placing each of your tears in His bottle. When you are at your wit’s end, exhausted, and convinced you are going to lose your mind any second, He is there with you. He is whispering to your spirit that you are not alone. He is pouring out His grace and strength and love and peace over you.

As you complete your caregiving tasks, imagine that as you work your hands and feet are His hands and feet. Then stop and realize that it is true. When we are serving another in love, we are the hands and feet of Christ. It doesn’t always look pretty to our human eyes but the spiritual scene of caregiving is beautiful and precious in the sight of God.

Coming next time, Lie #3: IF I CAN’T DO IT MYSELF THEN IT WON’T EVER GET DONE

“The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him.” (Genesis 2:8) (NET Bible)

1. I AM ALONE

Ah. Lie number ONE. I like to think of this lie as my imaginary isolation chamber. I have spent a lot of time bound up by this lie. Believing that I am alone has brought me nothing but overwhelm and depressed misery. God never designed us to go through life alone. We were created to live in communion with others and with Him.

( One lonely flower…)

This lie is a tricky one because it has a grain of truth to it. When you are taking care of someone (or a group of someones), sometimes you are working so hard trying to accomplish everything that needs to be done every day on your own, it is hard to reach out to others to maintain relationships. It often feels like you are barely getting by and there is just no time left to connect with others. You most definitely FEEL alone.

For example, when you have no energy to entertain company or to make your home look presentable, is very tempting to never invite people over. With this kind of thinking you really can build yourself a kind of isolation chamber life as you slowly cut yourself off from your friends. Believing you are alone causes you to actively make choices that result in making yourself more isolated. If you don’t break the cycle of this lie you can cut yourself off from your whole social support system, which can be disastrous.

The good news is that you can break free of this lie. Here are a few ways to jerk your brain and heart back to the truth:

1. Reach out

Take a moment to reach out to someone (a friend, a neighbor, a family member, whoever). There are so many easy ways to connect: Send a text, make a phone call, write a quick Facebook message, or take a silly SnapChat and share it etc. Even a superficial interaction can break your illusion of isolation and sometimes a quick message turns into a conversation where you can make a real connection with someone, which is often very helpful.

(If you don’t get an instant response try reaching out someone else. You are not really as alone as you feel.)

2. Change Your Script

Realize that the more you tell yourself that you are alone the more alone you will become. So choose to start telling yourself something different.

For example, instead of telling yourself that the house is too messy to invite a friend over, tell yourself that a real friend won’t care. Then invite a friend over – even if things are a mess. (Maybe they will pitch in and help you. Most likely they will at least talk to you while you go about what needs to be done, which is also very pleasant.)

3. Seek God’s Presence

Make peace with the fact that there will always be moments when the human presence you crave will be impossible to get. God designed human beings to need each other. But even when you can’t lean on another human, you’re still not alone. Here is a helpful exercise:

Speak each of the scriptures below out loud:

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) (New Living Translation)

“…God Himself has said, “I will never, never let go your hand: I will never never forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) (Weymouth New Testament)

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) (NIV)

Then say them again only this time add, “Thank you, Father/Yeshua/Jesus/Holy Spirit (pick your favorite) that…(insert above scripture)”. Speaking them out loud is important–not to God, He knows your every thought. Speaking them out loud is important to your brain and your emotions. You need to hear them with your ears. Faith comes by…wait for it…HEARING. By doing this, saying them out loud, you are boosting your faith.

Now that your faith is ramped up, start praising God. You can say things like, “Father I praise You for faithfully keeping all Your promises.” (Or whatever you can think of to praise Him for…running water, your loved ones, your favorite flower. Just pick something.) Alternatively, you can turn on some praise and worship music and sing along, that also works.

After a few minutes of praising God, you will find you are not alone. Jehovah inhabits the praises of His people. When you start praising God, His presence shows up. He is always with you, He is always everywhere…but loneliness calls for presence.

(The same flower, no so alone. Just a small shift in perspective can change everything. )
There are more ways to fight the “I AM ALONE” lie, I am sure. For me, most of my successful outcomes have been variations of the three ways above. Please leave a comment if you have something that has worked well for you when you are fighting feeling isolated, I would love to hear it.
Coming up next in this series: